Connecting-bar.



' W1 TNESSE S:

F-SCHAEFER. CONNECTING BAR;

APPLICATION FILED JULY 7. I914.

1,240,493. Pdtenfed Sept. 18,1917.

Fig. 13,

UNITED TATE Plh lflihl @Fli lill CONNECTING-BAR.

Applicationfiled July '7. 1914.

To all whom it may "anon 1w:

lie it known that l, l uuni-uno Henwnrnn, a resident of liltshurgh. in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful llnprm'ement in (oiniecting-llars of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates t pressed metal connecting bars. such as are used for connecting the brake levers of railway trucks, or for other purposes, and to push rods for brake cylinders, etc. The object of the invention. is to provide 2 bar or rod oi the kind described which is light yet very strong, which can be readily adapted to all types and arrangements of brake rigging or other mechanism, which is reinforced against bending and tensile strains at all of the usual weak points. whieh gives an extended hearing upon the pivot pin or pinsfio which, it is conneeted. which is durable and is not likely to tail under serviee conditions, and which can be readily nmnufactured at low cost.

The invention comprises the bar or rod hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings. which represent several embodiments of the invention, Figure. l is a top plan view of a conneeting bar: Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof; Figs. l and 5 are cross sections on a larger scale taken IQH}')OCtl\Ql Y on the lines 3-3 and 55, Fig Fig. 6 is a. detail longitudinal section on the line 66, Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is a view corresponding to Fi 2 and showing a modified form of the invention: Figs. 8 and S) are cross sections taken respectively on the lines 88, and 95). Fig. 7 Figs. 10 and 11 are views cor esponding to Fig. 8 and. showing other modifications; Fig. 12 is a side elevation of a push rod embodying the invention; Fig. 13 is a plan view of one end thereof; and Fig. l iis a deta view showing a modification.

The connecting bar shown in the drawings comprises a body portion 1 formed of pressed metal, preferably steel, and having a suitable hollow cross section. At each end said haris slotted longitudinally, as at 2, to provide pairs of oppositely disposed ears 3, which preferably are fiat and parallel to each other, and are ronnoed at their out-er ends,

as shown at 4. The pairs of ears at opposite ends of the bar are provided with one or a plurality of sets of oppositely disposed holes 5, for receiving pivot pins for con Specification of Letters latent.

Patented Sent. 18. 3.5937.

Serial No. 849.550.

neeting said bar t other parts. 'lhe metal surrounding earl: of said holes displai'zed laterally. either irnvardlv toward toe center line otthe bar, or outwariilly'. as shown in Fig. .l. to form protuiieranees (3. which mate rially inereasethe hearing riaoe oi each ear in contact with the pivot pinto which it is connected.

To strengthen the bar aga 'ist bending strains. especially sidewise or in a direction parallel to the axes ofthe holes 5. and to inforce it at the junction of the ears with the body portion of the liar the. metal of the side portions of sa oar, oi'iposi'te the roots of the slots 2. also displaeei'l laterally, as at '7, pielerahlv in a manner to maintain the original thickness oi the metal. which not on iv increases the beam eliert and. strengthens the tilt against bending stress 1 in all direetimis, but also reinforces it against tensile stresses.

The connecting lmr deserihed preferably made from a. flat sheet or plate of fro-god or rolled steel, which is first slotted at is nppw site ends to form the ears 3. Eithei sininllaneously with the slotting oiwratimi, or subsequently thereto. earh end of the blank is sulijeeted to a forging or pressing operation in suitable dies. whieh operation punches the holes 5 and forces the metal of the ears outwardly and into the die to produee the protuheranros f3, and also shapes the side enlargements T opposite the reot the slots The blank is then bent or Folded on its central longitudinal line to the proper oross sectional shape, either the shape.

oi? the hotly zortion. which in the town shown in i andfQ is greater than too depth or the ears 3, and which liar is therefore materiallyrein'loreei'l against bending strains in the vertical plane, due in part 1'.

the greater depth than wi the Sfiifilill'l. as shown in in other cases. when the bar is substantially straight from end to end, as shown in l i i, the. l l' flsfi snetion may be round, as shown in Fig. 8, or square. as shown in Figs. it and 11, and which illustra ts different positions of the diagonals oi the sq of the v A! 4. to section with rel in i The sections show and 11 are particularly Valuable as they are uniformsbout the central longitudinal axis of the bar and consequently metal is distributed most advantageously end has maximum stirength with a minimum amount of metal. In all cases the cross sectional shape to which the bar is folded depends upon its particular use and Whether it is desired to reinforce the be? against strains in the vertical or in the horizontal plane.

new the bar is folded. in the munner descnibed the openings 5, which lie directly opposite-each other, are trued by a teeming opemtion so as to reduce weer on the pivot pins.

' rods are made by slotting a flat sheet or slot 10 to form the side swells 13.

blank is then bent around a longitudinal axis plate at one end to form the slots 10, whereupon the slotted blank is subjected to a die forging or pressing operation to form the pivot apertures 11 and to force the metal outwardly around said epeitures, it 12, to increase the bearing surface to also force it outwardly opposite the root of 1%18 to bring the ears 14: into parallelism and to form the tubular body 15, Winch may be pro vided "with a suitable end plug or head 16,

' if desired; This is e very cheap and strong push rod which can be made at very low cost and has m Xiifilllfl strength for the metal employed,

What I claim is:--

1, A. bar, comprising a one-piece hollow body member slotted at its ends to form bulbs (if-oppositely disposed the meted of said. body member opposite the roots of said slots being of substantially uniform thickness around the entire periphery of the body end being also displaced laterally into.

arch form to increase the strengthof the bill. 2. A connecting bar, comprising a oneplece hollow body member provided with slots at both ends to form pairs of parallel.

ears, said curs having oppositely disposed apertures with the metal around said open tux-es thickened to thereby increase the been slots being of substantially uniform thickness around the entire periphery of the body and being displaced outwardly into arch form to increase the strength of the bar.

mg surface, and opposite the roots of said y 3. A connecting bar, comprising a body member formed of plate metal bent to bol low form and slotted at both ends to form pairs of parallel cars, saideei's being nanrower than the depth of said body member with oppositely disposed o and being provide apertures with the metal around said opertures thickened to thereby increase the beering surface, and opposite the ends -01? said slots being of substantially uniform thicknesseround the entire periphery of the body and. being displaced outwardly into arch form to increase the strength. of the bar.

4, A bar or rod, comprising a hollow body having its end portion slotted to form a pair of parallel care, said ears being provided with oppositely disposed apertures with the.

metal around said apertures thickened to thereby increase the bearing surface, the

metal of said body opposite the root of said slot beiug'of substantially unifonm thickness around the entire periphery of the body and being also displaced laterally into arch form to increase the strength of the bar.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FREDEREC SOHAEFER. Witnesses:

WI LIAM B. Wnnntrou, GLENN H. Lnuuscnn. 

